If things go according to plan, the Calcutta High Court is set to get its third Bench, at Jalpaiguri.

As per a Press Information Bureau (PIB) release, the Union Cabinet has approved the establishment of a Circuit Bench of the Calcutta High Court at Jalpaiguri, with jurisdiction over four districts i.e. Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Jalpaiguri and Cooch Behar.

The Calcutta High Court, also the oldest High Court in India having been established in 1862, retains jurisdiction over the Andaman and Nicobar islands as well, in addition to West Bengal.

Accordingly, the High Court presently has two Benches functioning, i.e. the principal Bench at Kolkata and a permanent Circuit Bench at Port Blair, the capital of Andaman and Nicobar islands.

As per the PIB release, the decision to set up a third Bench was taken at a Full Court Meeting in 1988, following which a cabinet decision approving the proposal was also made in 2006. In August last year, a team of judges also visited the proposed site where the new Bench would be set up.

The full PIB release reads:

“The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the establishment of Circuit Bench of Calcutta High Court at Jalpaiguri. It will have jurisdiction over four districts namely Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Jalpaiguri and Cooch Behar.

The decision comes in the backdrop of the decision of the Calcutta High Court Full Court Meeting in 1988, Cabinet Decision on 16-6-2006 which approved the setting up of Circuit Bench of Calcutta High Court at Jalpaiguri and the visit by a team of Judges led by Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court to the proposed site of the Circuit Bench at Jalpaiguri on 30-08-2018 to assess the progress regarding the infrastructure facilities there.“

Read the Government order on the establishment of the Calcutta HC Bench at Jalpaiguri: